Situs Corporation

Endonetics, Inc.

Intramed Laboratories, Inc.

Forcast Orthopedics, Inc.

Urds, Corp.

David G Matsuura

Paul F Zupkas

John P Greelis

Mikxay Sirivong

Philip J Simpson

John T Kilcoyne

Charles R Holdaway

Walter Dean Gillespie

Charles Lowell Parsons

Keir Hart

Jeffrey Paul Castleberry

Jacob A Moebius

Jared Ruben Hillel Foran

W Tate Scott

Curt Boyll

Leo Whiteside

An implantable externally driven fluid delivery system for localized delivery of medical agents and drugs, such as antibiotics, may be provided herein. The fluid delivery system includes a housing that incorporates a filling septum connected to a flexible internal reservoir. The reservoir is connected to a miniature diaphragm pump with coupled magnetic components. The entire fluid delivery system is implantable into a body cavity or surgically formed location that provides for local medical agent delivery. The reservoir is filled via percutaneous injection through the skin into the septum. Fluid delivery is achieved through proximity of the external controller that generates an oscillating or reversing magnetic field suitable to actuate the pump's diaphragm resulting in controlled fluid flow. Once local drug delivery treatment is complete, the controller can be discarded.

Implantable externally driven fluid delivery system

An ultrasound transducer comprises a sheath body constructed from a nonconductive material. The sheath body is configured to be installed over a medical device. A piezoelectric copolymer transducer is held snugly against the medical device by the sheath body when the ultrasound transducer is installed over the medical device. The piezoelectric copolymer transducer transduces incident ultrasound signals into corresponding electric signals. A ground conductor is coupled to a first surface of the piezoelectric copolymer transducer. A signal conductor is coupled to a second surface of the piezoelectric copolymer transducer and conducts the corresponding electric signals to a proximal end of the medical device.

Medical instrument sheath comprising a flexible ultrasound transducer

A drug-infusing device is implanted into a body cavity such as a bladder. The device is implanted in an uninflated, low profile state. After insertion into the body cavity, the device is filled with a substance, such as a drug, and assumes an increased profile. After the device is filled, it is allowed to float freely within the body cavity. Alternatively, the device can be tethered to a wall of the body cavity. The device delivers the drug at a controlled rate over an extended period of time. In order to deliver the drug at a controlled rate, the device preferably has a pressure-responsive valving member. The flow resistance of the valving member is responsive to the pressure at which the drug is stored within the infusing device. The resistance of the valving member decreases as the pressure within the infusing device decreases, thereby providing a resultant controlled flow rate.

Method for delivering a medication

Intravesical infuser

A biopsy device for acquiring more than one tissue sample comprises an elongated, flexible actuator shaft which is slidable within an outer sleeve. A jaw portion is coupled to the actuator shaft and the outer sleeve in such a manner as to open when the shaft is moved in a first direction relative to the sleeve and close when the shaft is moved in a second direction relative to the sleeve.

Multiple sample biopsy device

An articulated medical device as disclosed, incorporated in one embodiment into a biopsy device. The biopsy embodiment comprises an elongated actuator shaft which is slidable within an outer sleeve. A jaw portion coupled to the actuator shaft and the outer sleeve opens when the shaft is moved in a first direction relative to the sleeve and closes when the shaft is moved in a second direction relative to the sleeve.

Articulated medical device

A delivery device and method for delivering a medical device, such as an infuser, into a body cavity are disclosed. The delivery device includes an ejector tube which slidably extends through a handle. The ejector tube is configured for easy insertion through the urethra into the bladder. A hollow inner tube is located within the ejector tube and includes luer fittings at its distal and proximal ends. The luer fitting at the proximal end of the inner tube is coupled to the handle. Movement of the ejector tube relative to the inner tube causes the distal luer fitting to be withdrawn within the ejector tube and can be used to force an infuser attached to the distal luer fitting from the distal luer fitting. Materials can be transported to the infuser from the proximal luer fitting through the inner tube and out through the distal luer connector.

Method and apparatus for placement and activation of a medical device

A surgical device is comprised of a probe adapted for insertion into a patient. The probe has a means for manipulating tissue within a zone of manipulation. The probe also has a first receiver which is disposed within the zone of manipulation. The first receiver responds to receipt of a radiated signal by generation of a first receiver signal indicating a strength at which the radiated signal is received. A means for analyzing the first receiver signal determines a measure of manipulation to the tissue within the zone of manipulation. In one embodiment, the first receiver is disposed at the tip of the probe. In another embodiment, the means for manipulating removes energy from the tissue. In yet another embodiment, the means for manipulating adds energy to the tissue so as to alter the tissue. Optionally, the means for analyzing accumulates a set of values of the first receiver signal over time in order to determine the measure of manipulation. A scanner generates the radiated signal. Optionally, the scanner is an ultrasonic scanner and the radiated signal is an ultrasonic signal.

Method and apparatus for determining a measure of tissue manipulation

A cryosurgical instrument incorporates a heat transfer zone, which abuts against the portion of the cryosurgical instrument near the input refrigerant entrance, and which receives pure input refrigerant at the coldest temperature for quickly and effectively cooling this portion of the cryosurgical instrument. The cryosurgical instrument includes a shaft portion and a handle portion. The shaft portion includes an outer jacket tube having both an open and closed end. The closed end surrounds the freezing zone for freezing live tissue. A middle tube is disposed within the outer jacket tube. An inner tube is disposed within the middle tube. The inner tube is adapted for routing input cryogenic refrigerant therethrough to the freezing zone. The channel between the inner tube and middle tube forms a cryogenic refrigerant exhaust path for exhausting cryogenic refrigerant from the freezing zone. A heat transfer zone is disposed within the handle portion of the cryosurgical instrument near the entrance of the input refrigerant. The heat transfer zone may take the form of a cooling chamber. The cooling chamber is in fluid communication with the inner tube to receive input cryogenic refrigerant from inlet ports therefrom, and is adapted for circulating input refrigerant within the cooling chamber to induce heat transfer from the walls of the chamber into the refrigerant. The cryosurgical instrument further includes an exhaust chamber disposed within the handle portion adapted for receiving exhaust cryogenic refrigerant from the exhaust path. The exhaust chamber is also adapted for receiving exhaust cryogenic refrigerant from the cooling chamber through outlet ports in the cooling chamber.

Cryosurgical instrument

An endoscope including a flexible shaft having a distal end which can be deflected by a manually operable mechanism on a handle assembly. The shaft includes an elongate member having longitudinal fins that extend radially outward. A hollow lumen through the core member forms a fluid channel, and the radially extending fins provide channels for accommodating optical fibers and pull wires. The member has a substantially continuous cross-section enabling it to be inexpensively extruded.

Growing community of inventors

Escondido, CA, United States of America

David G Matsuura